Articulated wheel loaders have long been used in the earthmoving and construction industries for excavating materials and loading such materials into trucks and the like. Most of the prior art wheel loaders have been large and expensive pieces of equipment, which are used by large contractors that typically operate large fleets of earthmoving equipment. Lately, however, there has been a trend toward much smaller, compact wheel loaders, which are typically used by small owner/operators that have only one or two pieces of earthmoving equipment. Such compact wheel loaders place a premium on space and on the number of components used in such equipment in order to keep the size of the loaders small and their price competitive.
Even though such compact wheel loaders are small, they must perform the same functions as their bigger counterparts. In particular, they must have a rear engine end frame that includes an engine compartment for an engine that propels and provides power to the loader. In addition, the engine end frame must accommodate the drive train and the rear wheels of the loader that support the rear frame. The rear frame must accommodate other components as well, including, for instance, the rear bumper and rear counterweights to provide the loader with the correct weight distribution when digging or lifting materials with the bucket or other tool and the linkage located on the front frame of the loader. Because of the limited space available for these and the many other components carried on the engine end frame of such compact wheel loaders, it is difficult to accommodate all of these necessary components and to provide sufficient access to those that require replacement or servicing in the cramped quarters provided.
Therefore, it is highly advantageous to provide components that serve dual functions and are removable to permit appropriate access to other components requiring service in the engine compartment.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the above problems encountered in the engine end of prior compact wheel loaders and the like.